Some Holiday Preparations

 We've been focusing on homemade Christmas items this year, and that's been a lot of fun. Desert Boy got a lesson on how to wrap presents the other night. He asked where I had learned how to wrap presents, and I told him "My mom." He said, "Your mom taught you a lot." I agreed.

 Meanwhile, Desert Girl was enthralled with a craft project putting together gingerbread people made out of felt that allowed her to use glue. Glue is a special treat in our house now, after several glue incidents. It is a carefully controlled substance.

 Desert Girl was trying hard to make her gingerbread dolls just right.

 We've also made some Christmas ornaments out of a sticker kit. It's funny how the kids can make even a simple design have some extra character!

 You can tell that these were kid-made! They will be happy reminders of this stage in Christmases future.

We had an extra form in the package, so I let Desert Girl do whatever she wanted, including using scissors. This is what she came up with. Notice the ponytail on the snowgirl. She was very proud of that.

Desert Boy wanted me to open a present early. This is what I got:

I asked him where his club was, and he said he was making it. Once it's ready, I've got an exclusive ticket!

 Here is one of the finished gingerbread people!

I so much appreciate the extra smiles and chuckles the kids share and create!

Big Winter Storm

 First came the clouds...

 …marvelous, out-of-this world clouds (okay, a little photo editing maybe made them a little more out-of-this world!).

 I hereby dub the cloud above the dumbbell cloud.

Then, after a slow start the next day, the snow started coming and coming. We got several inches down in the valley, and up on the mountain it was over 20 inches.


Not only did we get snow, we got frigid cold temperatures.

 Desert Boy asked if he could walk on the ice, and I told him to go for it.

 The kids didn't seem to mind. They were on their usual perches at the post office, waiting for the bus.

 Then the kids decided to play in the snow. In the parking lot (it hadn't been plowed yet).

 Of course one ended up covered in snow. It's a good thing kids are tough!

 I liked all the lines in this photo.

 My drive to work. It was kind of cool seeing the snow getting deeper and deeper. But also a little scary.

 A dark-eyed junco searching for food in a shoveled area.

 Can you spot the car? Maybe the windshield wipers that are sticking up?

It was quite the snowstorm, and with the temperatures, we'll probably have the snow around for a long time. Fortunately the kids got to go sledding yesterday and take advantage of the snow.

A Winter Trip to the Salt Flat and Sinkhole

The day before Thanksgiving Desert Boy didn't have school, so I took the morning off. Desert Girl had preschool, so I decided that after we dropped her off, we'd head to the nearby sinkhole with a stop at the salt flat on the way. Better yet, we'd take some of Desert Boy's friends.

We have a lot of salt flats, or playas, out here in the desert. The rain falls, runs down to a low spot and pools, and then evaporates. It often leaves behind salt. Sometimes the playas are hard and you can drive on them, and other times they are mushy and will cost you an expensive towing bill.

The temperature was just below freezing, so I was hoping that it would stay that way. I was a little concerned that if the snow melted it could make the playa just mushy enough that I would get stuck. With four kids. Miles from the nearest person. I told myself if that did happen, it would be an adventure they'd remember. 

This playa has a dug out spot that collects water. We went over to look for wildlife and found some deep snow and a little ice. I had to work hard to convince the kids not to step on the weak ice. I didn't want our outing to end in the first five minutes due to a soaked, cold kid!

Fortunately they listened and soon were running free across the playa. That's one of the best things about a playa. It's a wide, open space, and you can go anywhere you want.

While the kids ran, I looked for patterns in the snow and ice. 

These patterns were quite a bit different from the ones I found in the spring when I visited this same playa.

Meanwhile, Henry was busy rolling on the snow. You can see Ava's boots in the photo. She was rolling around too.

Desert Boy tried to make a snow angel, but the snow was a little too hard.

I found it kind of funny that the kids chose to lay down on a cold surface.

We all agreed after awhile that it was time to head to our next destination: the sinkhole. When I had first asked Desert Boy if he wanted to go to the sinkhole, he enthusiastically agreed.

"I want to go. We can look for snakes."

I smiled inside. Yes, the sinkhole is a major snake haven. But it was winter, and our likelihood of finding snakes was very small. In fact, this was the perfect time to take a bunch of kids there.

We parked by the fence and found a place to cross it.

Then I had the kids line up for a "before" photo.

Soon they were charging down. I had told them as we were pulling up that we were going to the bottom, and none of them argued. They were ready for some outdoor time.

The mixture of snow and hard ground made for some interesting falls, but we all made it down unscathed.

Then the real fun began: finding snake skins! The snakes shed their skins as they grow, and we found snake skins all over. The kids soon began a friendly little competition to find the most.

They all left with a pile of snake skins and big grins.

I knew the trip was a success when the next day one of the friends asked me, "Where are we going today?"

Soon, my little friend, we will go out again!

Happy Advent!

 Today is the beginning of Advent, the first of four Sundays before Christmas. It happens to coincide with December 1, which is quite handy for an Advent Calendar. A couple years ago we made our own Advent Calendar with old Christmas cards. This year I wanted something a little different, and after an Internet search settled on a family-themed Advent Calendar.

The first step was to cut 24 pieces of card stock into roughly the same size.

 Then Desert Girl affixed a Christmas sticker to each one.

 I showed Desert Boy the list of family activities from this blog, and he ran and got a pencil and started writing some of them on the back of the cards. He wanted to keep them a secret from me, as he added some of his own ideas.

 Desert Girl watched the progress of filling in all the spaces.

 Finally we put the Advent Calendar up on the refrigerator. Every day has a family activity. I wanted to add a prayer to each day, so I got some ideas from this website.

 The prayers are short, something Desert Boy can read.

What are the family activities for the first two days? I just had to take a peek (for blogging purposes, of course).  Here's what we're going to do the first two days of Advent!

Do you use an Advent Calendar? If so, what kind?

How to Make the Most of Christmas Giving

How did you fare on Black Friday? Hopefully it wasn't a black and blue Friday for you with tussles over holiday sales! (I was a little sore, but it wasn't from jostling in the stores but rather from the family football game on Thanksgiving!)

Each year we try to figure out how we want to do Christmas. We don't have a set formula yet, and maybe won't ever, so that we can keep it fresh and exciting. Of course it is nice to have some family customs, and one is giving gifts. I don't think the kids will let us forget about that one! Here are some things we're striving for in giving gives this year.

Where to Buy Christmas Presents

1. Make Gifts When Possible
This year we're making quite a few of our gifts. I always appreciate the time and thoughtfulness of a homemade gift. Possible ideas are crafts (the kids love making these!), homemade treats, photo books, and more.

2. Think "Do" not "Stuff"
We are constantly trying to declutter the house, and by the amount of stuff we see in thrift stores, we know we're not the only ones! Giving a gift of doing something (like going to a museum, a special experience, or a nice dinner out) means no clutter but a wonderful memory.


3. Donate 
For the person who has everything, a donation in their name to an organization they support can be the best gift.

4. Buy Local When Possible
It is amazing how much impact a purchase from an individual or small business has compared to one at a big business. In addition, if you buy local, you are reducing the amount of gas needed (and even though prices have come down, they aren't cheap by any means!). Plus you are saving your time!

Craft fairs are common this time of year (Border Inn today, Ely Convention Center on December 7), and a great way to support local individuals, businesses, and groups, and also pick up great Christmas presents.

By the way, today is Small Business Saturday!

5. Buy Fair Trade
If you're looking for a unique gift that can help artisans in other countries, you can try a fair trade store, where the artisans are paid higher wages than selling traditional ways. Here are a few options:

Novica
The Shop for Change
Greenheart Shop


Where are your favorite places to shop for Christmas gifts?
Do you have other recommendations for giving? I'd love to hear!